


Intimacy Translated

by ArgentumFamulus



Series: Intimacy Translated [1]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Alternate Universe- No Supernatural, Cock blocking pets, Crime Sorcière Shenanigans, Domestic Fluff, Dorks in Love, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Gratuitous use of potential storylines and plots for the sake of smut, Jerza Love Fest, Laughter Between Kisses, Orgasmic descriptions of completely-in-love lovers, Overly invested in others' love lives type of friends, Potentially canonical sex, Reunion Sex, Romance, Romantic Banter, Seduction, Strip Tease, Teasing, Wall Sex, Wholesome Love, bedroom eyes, failed romantic gestures, holiday fluff, like shameless smut, lovefest, nosy friends
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-21
Updated: 2016-10-31
Packaged: 2018-08-16 18:44:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8113279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArgentumFamulus/pseuds/ArgentumFamulus
Summary: The language of love extends across all dimensions and time, regardless of culture or tongue. Still, it leaves a watermark of its nuances throughout the words and phrases of all peoples - an attempt to capture a snapshot of its infinite concept.





	1. Ta'aburnee

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 2 of Jerza Love Fest 2016 - Worship.

_She was getting ready for bed after another day in the market. When asked about it, Erza always laughed when she said, as part of her trade, she loved being in the rush of merchant-life. Busy markets were her second home, where she spent her day with hordes of people immersed in selling and stocking, and many a times (heatedly) squabbling for his sake. Her little workshop was famous for forging magnificent weapons, her swords unparalleled in the region. Yet nothing compared to applying balm to her ankles at a busy day's end._

_So when she was done one evening, instead of joining her to sleep away their exhaustion, Jellal knelt in front of her and wrapped his arms around her waist. Erza laughed softly as he nuzzled her stomach and, in return, thumbed the back of his neck soothingly. He felt nothing short of sublime when she stroked firm, slow circles to do away the knots of his aching muscles, all but melting against her. She grinned at the response her motions evoked._

_"Today was a good day, don't you think?" He cracked an eye open, a smile playing on his lips._

_"That's because it was a short day. But I'm not complaining." Erza laughed again, not denying the truth of his words. But her merriment caught in her throat when he looked up at her. Staring straight into his eyes, she found secrets of night tide, the heat of peak daylight amassed in his smouldering gaze. The intensity took her breath away. The weight of his touch increased, yet the boundary of fabric that clothed her skin never felt thinner. "It leaves time for us to reacquaint ourselves," he intoned lowly._

_It took her a moment, but Jellal watched with toe-curling satisfaction as recognition made her honeyed gaze darken. She shifted her weight nervously, excitement following behind quickly. The movement drew his eyes towards her hips and he followed it hungrily until she stilled again. Heat pooled in her belly and her lips parted in longing as she became hyper-aware of everything that was her lover. Of his roving, ravenous eyes; of the way his fingers moved behind her; of the way his breath felt against her navel and made her loins clench._

_She teased him with her silence, drumming her fingers against his sun-soaked skin and eyes wandering over sinewy muscles with a sharpness that rivaled even her best blades. Erza licked her lips – a movement that he liked more than words could describe – and steeled her gaze. She wanted him and she said so._

_But Jellal was one step ahead of her. Working away her gown with nimble fingers, Erza closed her eyes and savoured the way his hands slid up her skin in heated promise. It would help feed a fire lasting them the entire night._

* * *

It was only as his tongue traced her belly button and his hands travelled over the curves of her waist that she finally relented to his spoiling. With a soft cry, Erza dropped against the soft bedding, bouncing as her back hit the surface. Jellal's hands smoothed over her stomach in an act of devotion; the soft flesh rippled under his arduous touch.

Reveling in how wonderfully sensitive she was there, Jellal took his sweet time with her. He left stringent love-bites on his way down her body, soothing their sting with his tongue afterwards, while his hands took immense pleasure in stroking every inch of skin within reach. An eternity of the most blissful torture must have passed until he finally moved away from her navel and kissed further down the v of her middle. Erza gave a keen whine as slowly, but surely, he licked a path down and down and down.

With a breathless moan, Erza arched up from her shoulders; her lover made sure she was bound down by the hips and hummed into her skin softly, reassuringly.

Her scent spiked, the succulent fragrance coating the roof his mouth. Although his mouth watered at the thought of her taste and he was itching to devour her, Jellal restrained himself. A promise of hours dedicated solely to her pleasure was on the line and it kept him from indulging his voracious appetite. All things considered, nothing was ever as gratifying as seeing Erza pleasured to her wits end.

Jellal flicked his gaze up to her and was instantly enraptured.

He wanted to imprint the sight of Erza strung high on the brink of sexual bliss. The people of the land decorated and venerated many yet, to Jellal, no statue held a candle to the statuesque figure of his Erza bathed in broken, silvery moonbeams. With her scarlet hair flaring around her, she looked as much the beacon of light as he always envisioned. Her freckled skin glistened with sweat and her breasts, so full and soft in his palms, heaved as she panted headily.

One hand twisted the sheets above her head and the other was bent to kiss-swollen lips, where a finger sat tightly between her teeth in a fruitless effort to muffle her moans. But the little whimpers she made, music to his ears, filtered right through it. Taking an experimental stroke of her skin, Jellal was rewarded with the sight of her screwing her eyes tight, throwing her head back, and mouth falling open in a mewl. He stared at her with longing, almost afraid sudden movement would disturb such a beautiful mirage and render her too good to be true.

Seconds passed in silence until he could find his voice again. Jellal whispered her name reverently, supplication imbedded into its every syllable, just floating on the surface of his voice. He wanted to see her eyes; wanted to know everything she felt; wanted to feel the extent of her need.

Slowly, Erza opened her eyes and craned her head to meet his heated stare. Desire coiled tight in her gut when she found Jellal below, level with her womanhood, and studying her hungrily. It was as arousing as it was goading. Her grip on the sheets slackened and she stretched her arms out to cup his beautiful face, brushing sweat-matted locks away from the front. He broke his gaze to press a lingering kiss into her palm.

The simple gesture took her breath away and she beckoned him up for a sweet kiss. He obliged, slipping up the valleys and plains of her body to adoringly pressing his mouth to hers. Their bodies pushed and pulled with the raw power of crashing tides along earthy shores, helplessly gravitating towards each other over and over by the pluck of moonlight. Pulling back for a breath, they clutched at each other fiercely. Such nights coaxed currents as well as memories high. A familiar desperation overtook the couple as they nuzzled each other's faces, mouths always finding their way back to share a sigh and loathing separation enough for the flesh to stick together.

"I'm nothing without you," Jellal mumbled onto her lips. He could taste her breath, warm and heavy and sweet, on his tongue. "Don't leave me." It made him wonder if she could just as easily taste the urgency and surrender of his breath. "Please."

He took her bottom lip between his and gently tugged, feeling her pant softly into the sliver of space between them with half-lidded eyes. Desire caught up to him again and Jellal closed the distance between them once more. She held onto his face firmly, intent on not letting go until lightheadedness settled to the forefront of her mind and could no longer be ignored in favour of the way he moved his mouth, warm and wet, synchronously with hers. Reluctance sat in the scrunch of her brows as he slipped away, but not far enough that their noses didn't brush and they couldn't feel the quiver of anxious lips.

"I couldn't," Erza started breathlessly. She opened her eyes to and looked at him in earnest, silently promising that she would not let him leave either. "I couldn't if I tried." Frustration laced her breath. Words could never do her feelings justice. Winding her arms around his neck, she pulled him back into her again. She knew he understood because the tenderness with which he cradled her face was maddening.

Jellal nipped at her lips sensually and when he brushed the bottom with his thumb, coaxing her to open for him, she happily conceded. His tongue swept through her mouth, massaging and tangling with hers. Then, without warning, he pulled away. Before Erza could wonder why, he leaned back in and peppered little kisses over her eyes. His hands weren't still either, sliding down her jaw and down her neck and shoulders and arms until he reached her hands. As he pressed kisses across her temple and down her jaw, she threaded her fingers through his.

When he went to the corner of her mouth, she closed her eyes to the feeling of his nose skimming across her jaw repeatedly. “Erza,” he whispered, heated breath rolling over her. Erza waited with parted lips and glazed eyes, eager to taste him again. But he never came.

Quick as a wink, Jellal was under her chin and leaving a trail of kisses down her throat. She felt him smirk against her skin and pouted sourly. "Tease." He didn't deny it. But neither did he leave her unsatisfied for long.

The once feather-light press of lips began to linger; his nose skimmed across the length of her collarbone; more pressure at the dip; incessant sucking at the first swell of her chest; tongue darting out to sample the flavour of her skin. His attentions had Erza squirming impatiently once more. Keen on re-exploring his lover thoroughly, Jellal unlocked their fingers and dragged his nails gently along the reefs of her back. Long, silken hair rolled in waves beneath her and slipped along the back of his hands. His tongue laved down the valley of her breasts and on without stopping, addicted to the salt of her skin. He continued to travel back down her body, sinking between her legs in a bow, until he was once again level with the coves of her womanhood.

Large, work-worn hands grazed over to the creases of her thighs and she trembled. With deliberate slowness, Jellal dipped his tongue into their very apex.

Erza gasped and arched off the bedding, hips undulating in earnest. Her hands went back to seek purchase in the covers, moans incoherent. This time there was no stopping him.

Running his hands under the thick, shapely thighs, Jellal carefully settled her over his shoulder with a thrilled hum. She was wet, he knew that much. Yet seeing her inner thighs so slick with desire was doubly provoking. He ran his mouth across the soft skin, lapping and leaving little bruises in his wake. With his other hand, he caressed down the length of her leg and stopped at her knee. Bringing it over his shoulder, he turned to do the same to her other leg while listening to her faint, choked noises with relish.

It was the sweetest torture.

"Je...Jellal," she pined and finally, _finally_ he complied.

He laved the entire expanse of moist, dark folds; up and down, up and down. His tongue worked up to tease around the prominent hood at the tip and down until it was circling her entrance. Erza absently wondered if the way his nose prodded sometimes at her clit was purposeful but forgot about it when he let his teeth get involved once more. They nipped and sucked at the thick flesh of outer lips and dragged with enough force on the inside to make her hips jerk, insides clenching impatiently. Coherent thoughts flew out of her mind as Jellal's hands slipped under her rear and pulled her closer, right off the bedding, to hold Erza's wriggling hips steady while he consumed her.

The feel of his tongue laving at her insides made fire seep from deep within her core. She choked out in rapture, her curling toes slowly losing all feeling at his ministrations. After circling it with his tongue, Jellal suckled on the pearl of her sex insistently. Erza sobbed his name into the back of her hand, tears trickling from the corner of her eyes. Her passionate gasps and pitchy cries permeated the thick atmosphere.

She tossed her head back and side to side in the throes of pleasure, tangling a hand in her hair. His mouth was fire, but the tips of her fingers and toes felt cold; she imagined flashes of colour and starbursts against a dark backdrop. Electric, icy blue rippled through her nerves. Breathless gasps spilled from her lips, his name broken so many ways. It was just too much. Yet, it wasn't enough.

' _Just a little bit more– oh_ _please, there! Yes, right there!_ ' Teetering dangerously on an edge, Erza's sanity hovered over an enormous drop that she was so close. She screwed her eyes shut as her muscles tensed; her ears filled with the sound of rushing tides. So, so close. They ebbed and flowed unevenly alongside the whisper of the two lovers and the rustling sheets underneath. So, so, so incredibly _close_.

Jellal held fast to her convulsing thighs, fingers digging into the thick and lush flesh as he drank of her essence. Her taste, decadent and thick, was driving him mad to the point of wanting to drown in it. ' _C'mon, I know you're nearly there, love. Don't hold back._ '

Her entire body quivered madly in his grasp and then a second later, Erza arched up till she stilled; the calm before the storm. With an ardent cry to the heavens, she came undone before him. He imagined the way Erza mouthed his name at her release and stroked at her clit persistently, reveling in the sharpness of her tugging his hair and grousing above him. Jellal only relented when she rode through the waves of pleasure and was left with just the random spasm and quivering thighs.

Erza was gasping for breath, winded by the force of her release, and moaned softly as Jellal placed short kisses all over her. She watched through half-lidded eyes as his lips fluttered about her inner thighs and over the outer flesh of her sex, mouth slick and shining even in the dim room. Dark eyes met her in the aftermath of her sky-shattering orgasm and she found herself reaching out to him once more.

Handling her gently, Jellal lowered her thighs from his shoulder and climbed back to her, dragging his hands over her heated skin until he reached her face. Even as they met nose to nose, he could see Erza was still recovering. So, he tenderly tipped her head back and slanted his mouth over hers in a slow, drugging kiss that did the job of bringing her back down from her high.

To taste herself through him, she thought as his tongue skimmed over her top teeth, was incredibly erotic. Moaning into his mouth, Erza carded her fingers through his hair and wrapped her legs around his middle, ankles crossed against his back. It pressed him flush to her and she felt his erection against her stomach, warm, hard, and big. His hands slipped down to palm her backside and she gasped when he rocked his pelvis into her. The movement was insistent and Erza also undulated in tandem.

They were far from being done.

Then, without warning, he slid himself between her thighs and right along slick, hot folds.

Erza lurched, hips bucking up into him and nails coming down sharply on his back as she cried out, still sensitive from her release. Her head thrashed to the side, dizzy with pleasure. Her muscles nearly fluttered in anticipation, eager to have him buried deep under her skin. She panted his name into the bed, unable to meet his scalding eyes. Jellal took advantage of it and kissed around the shell of her ear. A shuddering moan escaped her, arms constricting around him.

"Tell me," he murmured, tugging her earlobe with his teeth. He was an expert in the face of unruly storms. "I'll give you everything, love." His lips moved against her ear and hands roamed distractedly, just as impatient as she was. Cupping and kneading her breasts; grazing her rib cage; reaching over to her backside just to pull her up for a moment of friction – a delicious sample of what was to come. "Just tell me what you want."

Growling, she tugged hard at his hair in ire – he knew _exactly_ how she liked him. It elicited a deep groan from Jellal as he jerked up into her. Her spite backfired and Erza, frantically clinging to him, unwittingly gasped out the response he wanted. "You _._ I want _you_." But her lover was reckless and let his ego out to prance at the worst of times.

"How do you want me?" She cried softly while he slowly rocked against her, so sick of and yet so electrified by his sinful teasing. Erza bit down on her lip and rolled her hips into him. Jellal gave a low hum and thrust forward, too, only to repeat his words. "How do you want me, Erza?"

Words flashed at the centre of her thoughts. ' _Hard. Deep. Rough._ ' But they bypassed the way to her mouth and in their place was something that occurred in a moment of unintentional candour.

"Now. Forever," she choked out, closing her eyes tightly and still seeing him behind her eyelids. Her abdomen fluttered and rippled under the pads of his fingers to let him know when enough was enough. He devoured her with dark eyes, his voracious appetite moving in time with the way she writhed. He wanted her just as desperately and infinitely. Erza's fingers tugged at his hair and her voice sounded the way he felt. "Jellal... Jellal, please– _Ah!_ "

Erza fit around him to perfect completion, arching up and coiling tightly all over. The stray thought, ' _Since you said "please"..._ ' ran through somewhere in the back of Jellal's head as they moaned in unison and feverishly met mouths, performing worship in the form of physical passion long after the moon set to welcome the first strip of dawn.

* * *

**Ta'aburnee** **  
** Pronunciation: /ta-AH-bŭr-neh/

Origin: _Arabic_

Noun.

(1) lit. "[may] you bury me"  
(2) phr. ( _idiom_ ) a morbid yet passionate declaration of one's hope that one will die before another person, because of how difficult or unbearable it would be to live without them

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoooooo boy... okay, wow. First time writing smut ever, so I'm still very fresh with guilt and very apprehensive. Honestly contemplating just erasing its existence before I implode from guilt, but that's another story altogether.
> 
> Anyways, do let me know what you think of it! I love hearing back from readers about their thoughts and am completely open to feedback! :)


	2. Oodal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 3 of Jerza Love Fest 2016 - Gentle/Rough.

_"You really were jealous?" She blinked at him, eyes wide and incredulous._

_When she said it like that, it made Jellal's face burn. He only gave a curt nod, not meeting her gaze in the mirror and looking straight at the space above her head instead._

_It wasn't that he wanted to feel resentful of the man who followed her around the entire venue, laughing raucously and tearing up the dance floor and leaning close to furiously whisper jokes and snicker when they met someone particularly batty. Jellal firmly decided that he did not and was not._

_If anything, the feeling was closer to envy. It was hard to overcome bad habits and his worst came in the form of insecurity; no matter the time that passed, Erza would always be out of his league. Yet, the man with bright hair and cheek-splitting smile held his own beside her, appearing equally bright next to someone as intelligent and funny and courageous and brilliant as Erza. Discomfort slithered in his gut when they slung arms around each other and he hated himself for it._

_Jellal knew she could handle her own. She was more than adept at turning down and untangling advances she didn't enjoy. Yet, even after so many years, the ugly combination of possessiveness and self-deprecation was hard to escape._

_Raking his eyes over her, he thought it didn't help that she was so beautiful. The thick material of her dress fluttered around the most luscious, biteable thighs and distracted him most of the night. His eyes skimmed across the view of her delicious backside; down perfect legs that he loved to have wrapped around him; over trim ankles he kissed more times than could be counted; to very ticklish toes, painted a smooth black. When they caught the light, they shimmered from a coat of glitter that matched the hem of her dress and he was back up at her thighs–_

_Erza crooned his name and he snapped up to look at her. Apparently, he became too distracted by her and her assets._

_She looked like she wanted to say something but dragged her bottom lip between her teeth instead. It did nothing to hide her teasing grin. Erza reached back for his hand and he wordlessly grasped hers, letting her fiddle with his fingers. Jellal watched her thumb stroke the wedding band around his finger, shadows of her eyelashes cast along the crest of her cheeks and expression pensive._

_"Hey," she whispered. Jellal's gaze went back up, this time meeting the dark, sultry eyes of her reflection. "Help me with my dress?"_

* * *

 

He was putty in her capable hands.

She squeezed and Jellal merely hissed a curse through gritted teeth. From the corner of her eyes, she saw his hands clench the sheets. He could do better than that, she thought with a fiendish grin. So, Erza gave the sac another generous squeeze and placed a simple kiss atop the bulge. To hear the savage groan of her name was music to her ears. She pulled back with a breath and trailed feathery fingers over the ridges and depressions of hyper-sensitive skin.

"Erza, please," he huffed desperately, staggering when her thumb ran over the tip. Dark eyes, wild and hooded, pleaded mercy and she bit down on her lip coyly, feigning a second of thought, before shaking her head.

"Oh, I don't know," she said breathily, sitting back on her heels. She reached her hand around her back where her hair had strayed and brought the once-immaculate plait back over her shoulder, playing with its ends. Her mischievous smile made her teeth glint predatorily. "I feel like you're still not convinced."

"I am," he conceded, not an ounce of fight in his voice. Pleasurable as it was, she was driving him mad.

Laughter echoed in her voice as she shook her head again, eyes alight with mirth at his expense. "No, you're not."

It was unbelievable, the downright lies she would make up to get her way. But what was more unbelievable is that even though he knew, Jellal would just as easily let her have her way. Unless he was on top. So when he tried shifting the current power dynamic, she practically pounced to get him back down and restrained beneath her. Sitting on his stomach with her legs locking his arms at his side, Erza clicked her tongue reproachfully and wagged a finger in scolding.

Jellal sighed, though he couldn't complain about his view. "You're not playing fair," he grumbled half-heartedly, breath ragged. She raised her brows – as if to ask _is that so?_ – but did not deign him with a response right away.

Erza pulled out the elastic of her braid and coaxed her hair free, taking her sweet, sweet time to comb her fingers through it. The braid left her normally straight hair in crimson waves around her shoulders and over the curve of her chest. What he wouldn't give to tangle his hands through it and kiss her into tomorrow. But he couldn't, he thought sulkily, because she was enjoying herself far too much to let him dominate.

"All's fair in love and war." Her voice was soft and lulling as it reached into his heart, coiling possessively around it and singing sweet, age-old sirens’ hymns. He refused to fall into her trap.

"Really," he asked monotonously.

"Really," Erza crooned back in an overly saccharine tone. It raised goosebumps on his arm. "And this," she said holding his face and leaning down to lock lips with him for a second while her bottom ground into his hard-on. He moaned into her mouth, all but melting against her, but she pulled back too quickly for his liking, sitting back up on her haunches with a nefarious grin. "Is a bit of both."

His will crumbled through the cracks of his fingers; Jellal let himself be pulled into the depths of to what was sure to be an exquisite doom.

A hand travelled down her neck and collar while she scrutinized him, looking nothing short of ethereal. Warm, freckled skin contrasted with the texture of her dark, silken undergarments. The thin sheen of sweat already coating her flesh made the smooth fabric cling to her and it took effort to resist the taut outline of nipples he wanted to nibble. The perky peaks tugged at his gaze, the fabric around them catching the light tantalizingly. And then there was her hair, spilling all around her like a titian halo. His mouth went dry just raking his eyes over her.

She leaned back into him once more and Jellal closed his eyes to commit her every touch and taste to memory. He was hers; wholly, completely. Her teeth caught his lip, the sharp edges dragging across it slowly until he was free. Erza mapped her way to his throat, where she blew across his heated skin. The rush of coolness made him shiver, yet set brushfires ablaze all along the expanse of flesh. His soul must have left his body for a second when she licked and nipped up at his ear because, next thing he knew, Erza was already smirking into his chest.

' _Vixen,_ ' he thought warmly.

As Erza kissed her way down, brightly painted fingernails skittering across his abdomen, she let his arms free and Jellal let his hands drag along the length of her spine as she continued her descent. He gave a huff of laughter when she tickled his sides and wondered out loud just _what_ she was doing.

"Waging war," she said with a cheeky smile.

"Why,” he retorted, “you've already won." Surrender sat in both the dark of his eyes and the white of the sheets beneath them. But Erza would not take it. Not when it was given away so easily, anyways; fighting for it was half the fun.

She hummed noncommittally, starry eyes flickering up at him tauntingly as she reached the proof of his arousal. Erza wasted no time in licking down the sides of his length to the base and then back up to the head and then down again. The moist and smooth texture of her tongue made his eyes roll back. With one hand holding his hardness in place, the other wreaked a different type of havoc on him as the fingers traced patterns into his leg. She flung him someplace in the greys between insanity and paradise.

From her place at his hips, Erza watched as Jellal scrunched his face and dug his head back into the pillows with a long hiss. Seeing him looking so undone gave her a rush of pride. He was hot and hard in her hands, warm skin over warmer steel. After tracing a vein up to the tip of the head, she thumbed the droplet of moisture and tasted it. Her tongue circled around the head. Jellal swore impatiently, his hand inadvertently finding its way into her hair.

When her name left his lips reverently, she finally engulfed the head into her mouth and swirled her tongue around it. He swore again, inadvertently pulling on her hair as his eyes rolled back once more. Tears sprang to Erza's eyes yet the sting also sent a thrill of pleasure coursing through that made her groan. ' _Mm, that felt good._ ' He felt the vibrations of her mouth over the muffled sound and reflexively bucked his hips up.

Done toying with him, Erza finally went down on Jellal, hands diligently working what she couldn't reach. He cried out, the sound ripping from his mouth while his mind reeled from her ministrations. There was magic in her every touch, which was sometimes like gravity-defying suspension and other times a hurtling free-fall. Jellal pulled himself up, panting as Erza pumped him with her hands and sucked at the sides avidly, teeth gently grazing him. Another febrile moan escaped him. Then she looked up at him from underneath her lashes; it was nearly his undoing.

"Ah-Erza, stop," he grunted, gritting his teeth together as the warm and wet cavern of her mouth took him in again. His stomach plummeted and a rapid string of whispered expletives left his lips. "I'm _–ah, damn!_ Erza!"

But his dirty mouth spurred her take him in deeper, moaning around the appendage. Jellal saw the beginning of the end, his vision blurring with the start of something close to a supernova but arguably bigger and more explosive. His body curled forward. ' _So close. So close. I'm not gonna–_ ' Erza moved off of him just in time and, at the pain of it, he almost wished she did let him finish.

With the heel of her palm, she wiped away the string of saliva still hanging from her lips and met his eyes. "Too close," she asked sheepishly.

Gleaming eyes watched him pant and shudder before they roved back to his hardness. Unconsciously, she curled her fingers and licked her lips; part of her wished she let him finish. Yet, the slow burn below her navel also ached and, in the last second, she gave into selfishness.

After coming back to earth and reorienting himself, Jellal only gave her a deadpan stare. "Very."

"My bad," she trilled with laughter. He rolled his eyes, unable to keep from grinning, too, and drew her in until she straddled his lap. Her slender arms encircled his neck and she nuzzled his nose cutely. The innocent actions were a far cry from the saucy smirk she threw at him earlier into their sexcapade. "So? Convinced that you’re the only man for me," she asked him teasingly.

Equally as competitive, Jellal was not keen on backing down. “Maybe.”

Hands that rested on her hips moved to her back, unclipping her bra clasp with practiced ease before travelling back to their initial resting place. Erza removed herself from him to get rid of her bra as well as her underwear and tossed each aside with blithe hands, eager to hold him again. Hugging him tightly, Erza kissed the space under his ear and his love quickly melted into a puddle of lust. He returned her affection by grazing her neck with his teeth and squeezing her plump backside, his thumb swirling at the dimples. Her merciless dominance left his hands restless to touch all that she forbade in her reign.

Whispering a curse, she bit down on her lower lip as his hands rubbed down her thighs and then slid back up her taut stomach to cup her breasts. After a moment of palming them with unabashed reverence, Jellal's right hand slipped further up to weave through her hair and, with a tilt of his head, captured her lips in a heated, messy kiss.

Legs on his either side, Erza pushed him back onto the bed. Even so, Jellal was determined to have his way this time. Without breaking away from her mouth, his hands clasped onto the back of her thighs and held her hips down to his. Erza hissed into his mouth at the contact and clung to him as he rolled them over on the bed. A loud suction sounded as their lips parted. Erza's breasts rose and fell with every breath, the dusky peaks chafing his chest.

Brushing his knuckles tenderly over her jaw, Jellal pulled her in for another kiss, a soft gesture, lazy and languid. She hummed into it, hands tangling into his long hair as they tasted each other without hurry.

"After what you did," he said huskily as they parted, "you don't get to say that." Once more he rolled them over until Erza lay on top of him. Pushing herself up, she looked at him quizzically. Jellal fixed her legs astride him and helped poise her over him. His fingers flexed on her hips and as Erza shifted, the resulting friction made their eyes flutter. "I said maybe, remember?"

She ground her hips and bit back a moan as Jellal thrust up, eyes never leaving the vision of her caught up in the spells of sexual bliss. "Mmm. Yes. I do." It was a good thing she was especially persuasive on top.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

"Still a little silly to get jealous of my _cousin_ , don't you think?"

"I didn't know."

"We were at a _family reunion_."

"…I forgot."

* * *

 

 **Oodal** **  
** Pronunciation: /OO-ṭŭl/

Origin: _Tamil_

Noun.

(1) the exaggerated, melodramatic, sometimes false anger or sulking that occurs between two lovers when they try to get easily offended, usually over an inconsequential matter, in an attempt to get the other one to apologize first after quarreling  
(2) facet of seeking attention and/or affection after petty quarreling; a way of strengthening romantic bonds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Actually I lied. The original prompt was indeed not "gentle/rough." I rearranged to gentle/rough in lieu of the other original two prompts, butterflies or pulse, because I wasn't really feeling either of them and instead liked both the prompts of Day 7. Sue me.
> 
> On that note, I'd still love it if you would leave behind a comment or review for me to gnaw on while wait on the court orders lol. Feedback is always appreciated and, personally, celebrated because I love hearing back from readers! Love y'all!


	3. Retrouvailles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompts based on both Day 1 and Day 7 of Jerza Love Fest 2016 - Marking & Return, respectively.

_It all started with the markings on his upper body._

_Upon closer examination, they were long scratches etched with enough strength to leave reddened welts as well as tiny crescent-shaped breaks. Thin lines in groups of four that ran halfway down his chest; some travelled along his shoulder and plummeted down the length of his sinewy back. The latter were the most abundant, stopping and starting and criss-crossing over and over on his back like fine net-work. A handful of puce bruises scattered the bridge of his shoulders, but the largest was hidden beneath hair near the back of his neck. It didn't take a genius to figure out all of that was obviously not done by Jellal._

_The cherry on top: they were undoubtedly fresh._

_The gym locker room, once filled with chattering and loitering bundles of excess testosterone, went still when he stepped out of the shower. Friends and strangers alike gawked in mixtures of disbelief, impress, and red-blooded envy. And even as reserved as he was, Jellal made no attempt to hide them. He wore the marks like medals with silent, unabashed pride._

_When most picked their hanging jaws, Richard, only too predictably, began harping on about the beauty of love and passionate reunions while Jellal pointedly ignored his looming, booming, naked figure._

_Erik and Sawyer exchanged sordid grins, wondering whether or not to they should bring up the R-rated version of Richard's monologue. They silently decided against it. After all, getting under Jellal's skin would be more effective when they met up with Ultear and Meredy, who were masterful in their methods of riling up their infuriatingly calm friend. Knowing Ultear, however, she would be desperate to wheedle details from him. It would guarantee for an interesting conversation the next time they all saw his much-adored wife._

_Macbeth, ever so silent but always observant, wondered that if this was what Jellal had to show, what exactly did the other party have?_

* * *

Erza was bushed.

The biggest event in her career and she pulled all the stops to make sure it went through without a hitch. Of course, that didn't mean problems didn't find a way of skirting around her meticulous planning.

The florists were not keen on keeping proper contact and updating the status of the order. The bride and groom couldn't decide what flavour of cake was best and changed their minds four times. The bride's cousin, and maid of honour, didn't like the colour of her appointed dress and consequently started a brief family feud. According to someone's great-uncle, the hotel's spa was inadequate and the staff "incompetent punks." The audio-visual systems were randomly bugging; the DJ furious when his equipment was misplaced. And throughout the last wedding day, the groom's once-removed second-cousin's daughter's boyfriend's _dog_ was having a hard time keeping away from where the caterers were fixing the buffet line.

But Erza would see details to a tee, vehement on its success. She worked on the three-day event for nearly six months and was determined to have everyone, the couple and their guests alike, be blown away by her everything. The couple came from respectively affluent families and to have such customers under her wing, promising future contact, was a golden ticket. She would have to be a fool to not use it to her advantage. So, she kept busy, running around and staying on her toes for any unwanted surprises. Especially as the big days approached.

Though she was swamped with preparations throughout the journey, the last twenty days were crucial and she was stationed at the wedding venue the entire time. It forced her to fly across the country and completely away from home. Away from Jellal.

She thought about him more often than she would have liked. Obviously, it helped to be busy but at certain pauses in her schedule, when she could catch her breath, she felt frustrated. What was the quote? Absence makes the heart grow fonder? Perhaps, Erza thought, but above all it made her feel lonely. At least in the past few months they spent _some_ downtime together. But without even the chance to sprawl on the couch and eat late-night snacks together, the two were reduced to snapping a text or just leaving a message on voicemail.

The last she properly talked to him was three nights prior to the second reception party, over video chat. He told her she looked great and she scoffed, trying to hide her pleased smile behind her palm – a rumpled, juice-stained blouse and having bags over the bags on her eyes were _not_ the definition of sexy. She told him that perhaps next summer, they could come here together and see the sights she didn't have time for. He agreed happily.

Then, he mentioned how he was in the midst of composing something for some huge film that scouted his talents. She asked if he would play it for her when she returned. He quieted, eyes flicking down in thought and returning with a gleam. She froze, caught in a stitch between the desires to know more and to escape. He asked, voice soft and insinuating, if she wouldn't rather that he "play" her.

Reflecting on it, it was a corny pick-up line, no more and no less… but _hot damn_ , if it didn’t do the trick.

' _The smooth bastard._ ' Erza flushed at the memory just as she flushed when he described exactly how he planned to go about it all. The details made her shudder, but the rest of her felt hot with a hungry passion that went bone-deep. It had been unacceptably long since they last had each other.

The cruelest part was when Jellal left her to agonize over it with a knowing smirk and suggestive, "See you soon."

It was always a random, passing thought, which teased her relentlessly ever since he said it. Even now, as she stood in the elevator, floors away from their apartment, it evoked a delicate shiver and Erza could only be glad that the woman previously next to her had already stepped off. She fidgeted with the handle of her luggage and checked her phone quickly. 6 o' clock. Jellal should have just arrived home as well. Again, she recalled his thick voice and those three little words he left her with – _see you soon_. And again, she felt the sharp tug of desire. He would be lucky if she didn't jump his bones the minute she saw him.

"I'm back."

Erza was promptly greeted by the comfort of soft lighting, olivine walls, and something bubbling on the stove top. A bell trilled and she looked down to see even Millianna skip over with a soft mewl, circling her ankles in excited greeting. Grinning, Erza crouched down for a minute and scratched her in that sweet spot on the nook between her ear and jaw, watching the tawny body coiling against her nails until her stomach whined. After a measly in-flight snack, the delicious scent induced by whatever it was on the stove made her salivate. Quickly slipping off her shoes, she propped her bags by the sofa and headed straight for whatever was cooking in the big silver pot, Millianna bouncing at her heels.

In her excitement to see whatever was under the lid, she started when arms suddenly engulfed her. It lasted no more than a moment. The scent of soap and something inherently homey clung to him, drawing her in without a qualm. "Welcome back," Jellal said into her hair. She bit down on her smile and peeked up to catch warm autumn eyes, only to ease back into him when he nuzzled her affectionately, lips fluttering round the shell of her ear.

"What'd you make?" She nodded in the direction of the lidded pot in front of them.

"Stew."

Erza groaned at the thought of chunky, hearty, _delicious_ beef stew and was nearly bouncing on the balls of her feet. "With the thick bread from the bakery on 17th," she asked hopefully.

She peered up to see him gazing down at her, his expression soft but teasing. "Did you think I'd be making stew without it? I got your favourite cake from there, too."

He watched her eyes crinkle and she ducked her face to nose his sweater. Her voice came as a muffled moan of happy gibberish and he snorted at the stupid little wriggle she did, wondering exactly how much energy his wife had to be this exuberant. Jellal assumed after months of big-wedding chaos, she would be dead on her feet and ready to dive into a well-deserved sleep. But as they swayed in place, he decided that this was just as well.

"I could eat thirty-five whole cows right now," she said, not an ounce of humour to be found in her tone. The entirely Erza-like exaggeration drew a chuckle from him.

“Wash up before you decide to drive down to the nearest farm.” Liking the sound of warm water and soap, she left with a roll of her eyes and a peck on his cheek.

By the time she returned, body giving off steam and a healthy flush on her cheeks, Jellal had already set up the table and was doling out generous servings of the browned stew into large bowls. The hearty smell of the air was now laced with smoke and, sure enough, she spied thick, toasted slices of the bakery roll on a rack behind him. Millianna was perched happily on his shoulder, her long tail swinging two and fro while she watched him go about his business; it made for a warm and homey picture.

_Mreow._

“No, Mills, you already ate,” she heard him mutter to the cat, pointedly ignoring the snuffling nose pushing on his cheek. “We can’t have you getting sick,” he glanced at the cat peering attentively at him and added as an afterthought, “or fat.”

The young tabby gave a pitiful whine and, with a little wiggle of her rump, hopped off his shoulder to jog towards an on-coming Erza with an agenda in her sorrowful eyes. It took no more than the stern purse of her lips and lifting eyebrows for the cat to swerve – slinking under the table with only her swishing tail left to linger in sight – with a low grumble that made the couple scoff.

Dinner was uneventful and delightful; Erza savoured every last morsel of meat and wiped her dish clean with bread, unwilling to waste a single droplet of broth. As she leaned back on her chair with a satisfied groan, rubbing at her satisfied belly, Jellal cleared their empty dishes and brought out the cake he promised her. She stared at the sweet predatorily, watching him cut a clean, sizable slice and lift it onto a saucer before pushing the rest in front of her with a knowing smile.

Erza made quick work of the delectable sweet, licking her lips clean while Jellal started on the dishes. As she came down from the high of good food, her mind focused back on the present company. With her husband’s back to her, she watched his shoulder muscles flex underneath the cotton of his shirt, only the whisper of a scrub brush to be heard, followed by the rush of water from the faucet.

' _When is soon_ ,' she wondered impatiently. As she was putting away dried dishes, he crept up on her and she finally received her answer.

Erza never heard his footsteps but eased into him when his arms circled around her waist once more, warm fingers slipping under the hem of her shirt. The cupboard closed with a loud snap just as his body pressed flush against her back. She hummed to the sound of her whispered name, tilting her head to the side as his lips began to trail heatedly down the side of her neck while his hips rocked into her backside. A moan left her as he pinched the flesh at the base of her neck between his teeth and nursed it. Closing her eyes, she blindly reached behind to dig her fingers into his hair and tried to remember how to breathe.

"Finally," Erza groaned, turning herself around. He let her go but never stepped away, very tempted to purr at the way her body slid against his. Her hands reached up to lose themselves in his hair. "I thought you forgot what you promised."

Jellal hauled her in by the hips for a messy kiss, his right hand crawling under and up her shirt, exploring the expanses of smooth skin. "Impossible." He punctured each syllable with a hard kiss, each one messier than the last and leaving her more light-headed. “I missed you so much.”

She was a beauty disheveled as she was any other way. Her hair, once upon a time in a neat and tidy bun, was down and tousled. He managed to get her shirt half undone and then some, hickeys scattered across the curve of her neck and cute lingerie peeking out from beneath. Appetizing, Jellal supposed, was an acceptable way to describe how she looked.

Erza yelped and scrambled to hold onto his shirt as Jellal crouched to grab her by curve of her rear and hiked her up onto him without warning. With her legs wrapped snugly above his hips and hands full with the flesh of her behind, he returned her glare with a cheeky grin.

Jellal stared down at her heatedly, thumb running gentle swirls into her hip.

Yet, it seemed walking with Erza wrapped around him and kissing each other senseless at the same time was too much all at once. Jellal could only be grateful that their apartment was as small and uncluttered as it was. First, he bumped into the table and then crashed into the lamp five feet away from it, nearly dropping Erza in the process of catching it; he was lucky both came through alive and unharmed. Besides her initial scare, his wife was more amused than anything by his clumsiness.

"Careful," Erza said, unsuccessfully smothering her giggles behind her fingers. "Breaking my leg is a definite deal-breaker for sex."

Jellal rolled his eyes and made his way forward, content with just having her in his arms. So what if excitement got the better of him? But he made the fatal mistake of assuming he was in the clear and, once more, caught his foot against something. Yet, this ‘something’ was large and furry. A series of curses and screams and yowls later, Erza and Jellal stumbled safely onto the downy saviour that was usually, by day, a regular sofa. They sunk into the secure couch cushions while a pesky Wally darted to the safety of either a closet or the bathroom or wherever else their other feline was curled up.

Panting heavily from the scare of nearly breaking both of their legs, and possibly some other bones, too, Jellal just buried his face into Erza's heaving chest with an irritated mutter of, "Stupid cat."

Perhaps it was the effects of a sudden adrenaline-rush or simply the unsexiness of her normally level-footed husband tripping over their pet, but Erza let out a loud snort at his expense. Jellal looked up at her warily, feeling her body convulse, and just his expression pushed her over the brink until she was pink in the face from laughter. He quickly caught onto her good mood, chuckling as he wiped away the tears that leaked from the corner of her eyes.

Still giggling, Erza held his face and stared at him with soft eyes, admiring his smile. She watched their movements and, from the crow’s feet down to the glow of his cheeks, noted how well laughter moulded to his features. The pull to him was nothing short of magnetic and she brushed her lips against his in a simple kiss. A shot of thrill, warm and pulsating, darted through his body. Although his sides burned, the simple touch of her lips was as infectious as her laughter. Jellal returned her gesture firmly, relishing the way she smiled into his mouth.

She tasted of a home that was grounded and easily found; like every good thought wrapped in familiar greetings; like the anticipation of a long-awaited arrival. She tasted of love.

Erza’s arms coiled around him, fingers carding through his hair when she moaned into his mouth. Jellal’s hands clenched at her hips. What was meant as a quick test of ground rapidly escalated into a fervent lip-lock. They shifted until he was situated above her. Finally, passions put on the back-burner for far too long ignited them into a heated frenzy of push-and-pull.

Not one to be idle, Erza pushed him by the chest until she sat straddling him in the midst of their furious make-out. She pulled back with a strangled gasp, only to have him latch onto her neck with his arduous lips. Deft fingers removed the last of her buttons and tossed her shirt somewhere over the back of the couch while Erza, only able to undo the first three buttons, hastily peeled his over his head. Equally impatient, Jellal relieved her of her underwear and quickly pulled her back to him.

Only as she was left without her underwear in the cool air of the room did Erza realize exactly how impatient she was. Never had they been so thankful for the functionality of skirts.

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

' _Oh, God,_ ' Erza thought, keening breathlessly as they wrapped themselves around each other. The feel of not knowing where either began and ended was enthralling, a single-minded ecstasy. It had been _so long_. But she wasn’t kept to her thoughts for long, coherency shooting out of reach as her mind became pleasure-fogged.

They were not a vocal couple, but when it came down to such a matter of uninhibited urgency and desperation, Jellal lived for the way his wife moaned and cursed and feverishly, brokenly, gasped his name. Over and over again while she cried for _more_ , _more_ , _more_ of that maddening friction like she could never have enough of him; no matter how many times, how many days, how many ways she had him, it was never enough.

Never one to deny her heart’s desires, Jellal gripped her hips tight and insistently drove his own hips into her, losing sense of anything beyond the feeling and taste of his Erza, again and again and again…

**Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ**

For a long time, she lazed on top of him, hand over his heart while his fingers threaded through her hair, sharing languid kisses between pillow talk. Even with her eyes closed, her other hand played with the ends of his hair and Jellal stared at the serenity in her features pensively. The freckles scattered across the bridge of her nose and strewn along the width of her shoulders were open to his admiration, eyes tracing constellations. His hands could hardly stay still, easing the knots out of her neck and tapping down the column of her back before slipping under her top. She shuddered as his knuckles ran over the knobs of her spine and turned her whiskey eyes up at him.

Jellal took a deep breath, taking her with him in the rise and fall of his chest, near ready to drown in her gaze. Her fingers played with the finer hairs on the nape of her neck, curling tenderly around it, and she propped herself up to meet his mouth indulgently.

He deepened it and she moaned a song of pleasure into him, leaving him delirious with new desire. But when he was especially light-headed, she escaped him and Jellal opened his eyes to see her sneaking back, climbing off his body with an impish grin, fully aware of how she left him high and dry.

With hungry eyes, he watched Erza sashay around the coffee table and towards the bedroom with a snicker at his expense.

In one smooth move, she did away with her camisole. Then, sweeping her hair to the front and unclasping her bra with her barren back to him, Erza winked over her shoulder. She could feel the heat of his gaze charting the hickeys on her neck and the sporadic trail of freckles along the curve of her spine all the way down. Skirt hanging low, he propped himself up on an arm to get better vantage of the dimples on her back.

Her arm languidly stretched to the side, burgundy lace dangling from the tips of her fingers by the slim strap. Jellal raised a brow; Erza dropped the bra with a self-satisfied smirk. The moment she looked away to start at her skirt, there was a loud creak of springs and she immediately felt him behind her, large hands over hers and chest pressed to her shoulder blades.

Erza stilled, anticipation making her skin tingle. In an innocent gesture, her husband pressed a cheek to hers and rubbed them together, sweet whispers making her stomach flutter; the gesture sat in stark contrast to the not-so-innocent pluck of his fingers. Warm breath fanned down her shoulder and slowly, _torturously_ , he dragged down the hand holding her zipper. The crisp peal eclipsed their breaths with all the weight of a ticking time-bomb. She felt the fabric slip away from her and Erza clutched the edges tightly to her waist in an effort to keep it up. Sly fingers slinked around her and, after pulling her back to mould with his abdomen, eased one treacherous finger off at a time.

"Let go," he muttered into her ear. Erza closed her eyes at his gravelly voice – she just as easily felt it rumble in his chest, against her back – and did as he told. Fingertips slipped into the skirt for a second before the cloth dropped to her feet with a whispered rustle. "Good," he said, tugging her earlobe gently with his mouth.

Gasping his name, Erza shut her eyes tight and felt her nipples harden under his calculated dominance. With the way his hands moved up her stomach and softly cupped her breasts, caressing carefully around the tips, never touching them; there was no way he didn't notice his effect on her. Jellal knew what he was doing, his play as methodical and manipulative as it was teasing.

She shifted on her feet, feeling the inside of her thighs become slick again while his nose skimmed the column of her neck. The movement of his fingers never ceased either and her knees wobbled precariously, body crumbling under the force of his attention. He had yet to really touch her the way she wanted – _where_ she wanted – and Erza was already aroused, dripping down her leg in anticipation for him.

"Turn around."

Feeling deliciously responsive to the soft-spoken command, she didn’t fight the tug of excitement from whenever he decided to take the reins. Meeting his eyes, Erza knew her decision was more than sound. There was a catch-fire nature in his gaze that triggered a string of starbursts in her stomach, the smouldering quickly becoming a destructive passion, ready to burn through her. Erza felt the nearness of an end that she wished would not come.

There was stillness as they just stared at each other, the only movement coming from the gentle rise and fall of their chests in quiet tandem. It was Erza who broke the silence. “Hi.”

“Hey.” He smirked back at her, his tousled hair and gleaming teeth sent her heart racing. Jellal slid one hand into her hair, a thumb brushing against her swollen lips, and she met him step for step until she was pressed to his front again, head tilted up to his face. Dark eyes drank the sight of her with relish and he sucked in a sharp breath as Erza took the digit in her mouth, her tongue circling over it.

With a defeated groan, Jellal forced her back until he had her caught between the hard planes of his chest and the wall, kissing her into compliance. She spurred his actions further, wrapping herself around him and meeting his mouth with equal fervour. As the air between them thinned and the need for heat between their skin spiked, Erza was reminded of the destination on the other side of the wall, its downy expanse waiting to be re-christened by their amorous pursuits since she first stepped through the door.

She tried her best to remind him, but Jellal was intent on distracting her. With his tongue. "Jel...Jellal– _nngh._ " Hands kneaded her waist and Erza found herself reluctant to pull away, enjoying the attentions he lavished her with. "We should, mmm..."

Erza hummed into his mouth, her fingers tangling securely into his hair. She finally felt the cold of the wall behind her and arched away from it with a shiver. Instead, pressed up against the heat of his body instead, her senses seared from where her skin was on his. Jellal was quick to supply her with the warmth she so coveted, hands drifting down her sides and hoisting her up around his waist. He held tight to the curve of her thighs while their mouths sought a deeper angle.

She breathed his name as their lips parted, only held together by a thin string of saliva. When it broke, he salvaged the bond by latching onto the dip of her throat, her pulse tap, tap, tapping away against his lips. All she could see was the top of his head and combed through the dark, sweat-matted hair tickling her chin, the other hand gently stroking the base of his neck.

He suckled little bruises into her flesh and Erza had to reel her thoughts back when they threatened to float away in the tiny cracks of starlight behind her eyelids. ' _Get it together, Scarlet_.'

"Jellal?" She stopped her petting and he protested with a throaty, little whine. Erza shuddered at the way it felt, vibrating against her neck, feeling more than hearing. Regardless, she liked the sound of it _a lot_. "Bed?"

One arm slid up to cinch around her waist, yet his mouth became gentle again, leaving small, wet kisses on her neck. She moaned his name breathlessly, her question still standing. Jellal rocked his hips insinuatingly against her and, without words, she immediately knew his answer. "It's not going anywhere," he murmured conspiratorially, hands squeezing where he held her hips.

Erza felt her stomach swoop with anticipation. “True enough.”

She slid one hand down his back, manicured nails digging into his skin and eager to brandish him as he did her. Instinct warned her to hold on tight and she heeded its advice. _Entire nebulas are waiting for you tonight,_ it told her. The fires between them had yet to be assuaged and the night was young.

* * *

 **Retrouvailles** **  
** Pronunciation: /reh-TROO-vhī/

Origin: _French_

Noun.

(1) the joy of being reunited with a loved one after a long separation; often used in romantic context with _long-distance relationships_  
(2) to find each other again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Confession: regardless of the amount of effort I put in, I'm not exactly ecstatic about how this turned out. Something about it just... I don't know, rubs me the wrong way. But, I want it off my chest and my hard drive lol
> 
> Please tell me what you think! As always, comments and feedback are greatly appreciated because I loove hearing what readers have to say! Stay snazzy and, to those participating, have fun with Halloween or the other festivities you have going on right now! I wish you nothing but goodness and well-being ♡


End file.
